A young apprentice to an assassin becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that could destroy a kingdom in a brilliant epic fantasy debut by David Gemmell Award-nominated author RJ Barker To catch an assassin, use an assassin… Girton Club-foot has no family, a crippled leg, and is apprenticed to the best assassin in the land. He’s learning the art of taking lives, but his latest mission tasks … of taking lives, but his latest mission tasks him with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life.
Someone is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton to uncover the traitor and prevent the prince’s murder.
In a kingdom on the brink of civil war and a castle thick with lies, Girton finds friends he never expected, responsibilities he never wanted, and a conspiracy that could destroy an entire kingdom.
Praise for The Wounded Kingdom:
“Dead gods, dread magic, and a lead that feels like a breath of fresh air. Great fun.”―Peter Newman, author of The Vagrant
“Often poignant and always intriguing, Age of Assassins reveals its mysteries with the style of a magic show and the artful grace of a gifted storyteller.”―Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wild
“The most interesting treatment of the fantasy assassin trope in a while, and an involving narrative in its own right.”―RT Book Reviews
The Wounded Kingdom
Age of Assassins
Blood of Assassins
King of Assassins
For more from RJ Barker, check out:
The Tide Child Trilogy
The Bone Ships
Call of the Bone Ships
more
Anyone who enjoys Robin Hobb will enjoy these. Great series.
Anonymously summoned to Castle Maniyadoc, Girtan Clubfoot and his master, assassin Merela Karn, find themselves trapped and forced into a hunt for another assassin.
Age of Assassins is part mystery and part coming-of-age, wrapped in the trappings of a fantasy novel. The bulk of the story is told in first-person, exclusively through the eyes of Girtan, a young man rescued as a child from slavery and trained as an assassin’s apprentice. From that earlier age, he has had almost no friends or close acquaintances save his master, so when he has to assume the rule of a young noble and join a group of other boys in knightly training, it forces him to acknowledge some of what has been missing from his life.
Complicating matters further is Girtan’s meeting and growing affection for a stable-hand. As Girtan grows to value these friendships it becomes harder for him to be objective about his true purpose; finding the assassin intent on killing the prince. It isn’t made any easier by the prince’s nature; arrogant, cruel, bullying and, having already been shamed by Girtan once, intent to taking any form of revenge he can. Given that he could easily kill most of the other boys, he is often forced to choose between maintaining his cover and the reactions his adolescent hormones demand.
It turns out there are almost as many plots and secrets scattered around the castle as there are people looking to turn the unexpected arrival of a new member of the court to their advantage. While some of these schemes are only tangential to Girtan’s mission, they do act as distractions as he tries to puzzle his way through, and are effectively tied together at the climax, including one which hits a little too close to home for Girtan’s comfort.
One of the advantages the 1st person narrative has is that the reader discovers clues and information at the same time Girtan does, ensuring that the mystery remains foremost. The downside is that is can dilute some of the sense of jeopardy that Girtan faces. But obviously the same does not apply to anyone else and Girtan’s fear for his new friends comes across sharply.
Keeping the action confined to the castle and it’s immediate surrounds also helps amplify the claustrophobic nature of the story as many of the characters, not just Girtan are essentially trapped there. The combat, when it happens, is well handled and the description of Girtan’s fighting style is unique, as he moves in and out of conscious thought, letting his training take over.
Age of Assassins is a very good read and I plan on returning to the Wounded Kingdom in the future.
I absolutely loved this book. The hero is an orphan who apprentices to an assassin. I adored the character. He is smart, funny and irreverent. There is plenty of hidden magic, a love interest, and suspense which makes it a compelling read. There are two more books in the series. The ending is not a cliff hanger, but you will become invested enough in the characters and story to want to find out what happens to them.